Concentrator.



PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

J. P. SHUMWAY. GONGBNTRATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APB4.12,1904.

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ATToR Eva JOHN P. SHUMWAY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ooNcENTRAToB.

Speccaton of' Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11', 1906.

Application led April 12,1904. Serial No. 202,830.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. SHUMWAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angelesy and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Concentrators,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means to extract the valuable metals from sandor other substances in which they are found Without the use of water,and is particularly adapted for use in placer-mining.

It consists of a series of tables mounted one a little higher than theother, each table having an inclination downward from the head to thetail end thereof, and means to impart a lateral rocking and agitatingoscillating motion thereto.

The object of my invention is to extract precious metal from thesubstances in which it is found without the use of water: I accomplishthis object by means of the apparatus described herein and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view'of aconcentrator embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinalsection of one of thev concentrator tables. Fig. 3 is an enlargedtransverse section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. Il. Fig. 4 is a transversesection of the hopper or receptacle from which the material to beoperated on is fed to the concentrator-table.

In the drawings, A is the frame upon which the concentrator-t'ables Bare operatively mounted. The earth or material containing the preciousmetal to be operated on is iirst fed to -the receiving-hopper C, and isfed therefrom through the aperture O -in the bottom thereof. Thisaperture is immediately above the head of the concentrating-table.Rotatively mounted in the bottom of the hopper and immediately above andto one side of the discharge-aperture C', I mount the rotating shaft ordrum D, operated by the belt E in the direction indicated by the arrowin Fig. 1. In the bottom of the hopper I place the false bottom F, withan inclination downward from the side of the hopper to a pointimmediately over the rotating drum D, by means of which the contents ofthe hopper will be fed down to and upon the head of the iirstconcentrator-table. To regulate the amount of earth fed to theconcentrator-tables, I have provided the regulator G, having aninclination downward from the front side of the hopper to the top of thedrum. The opening between the regulator G and the drum is regulated bythe thumb-nut H. By this construction all the substances which areplaced in the hopper will be fed down and through the dischargeopeningsC to the concentrator-tables.

My concentrator-table has a canvas or other porous material I extendingfrom side to side and from the head to the foot of the table andsecurely attached thereto. On top of the canvas or other porous materialis provided a series of strips J, placed lengthwise of the table andedgewise thereon, the

y bottom edges thereof resting upon the canvas.

Below the canvas I place a like number of longitudinal strips J arrangedto register with the strips J above, they securely holding the canvasbetween them. The bottom longitudinal strips J are fastened to thecross-supporting strips K, which rest loosely upon rstrips or cleats(not shown) fastened to the inside surface of the sides of the table orair-box; Beneath these cross-supporting strips I'provide a number ofagitators or rockers L, pivoted on an arm Z, projecting downwardly fromthe center thereof, as shown in Fig. 3, the purpose of which is toimpart an agitating motion to these strips J These agitators are causedto rock upon their'bearings L by the lateral movement of theconcentrator-tables, as will be hereinafter explained. The lateralmotion of the conoentrator-tables will throw one of the projecting endsof the agitator upward and against the cross-supporting strips K, andthe reverse movement will cause the other end of the agitator to contactwith the cross-supporting strip, and thereby agitate the same, which ofcourse will agitate the canvas resting thereon. This will cause materialon the canvas to be agitated, as herein explained. When theconcentrator-table is moved laterally, these agitators will rock ontheir pivoted supports and contactwith and agitate the canvas.

VMotion is limparted to the apparatus through the driving pulley M inthe direction indicated by the arrow thereon. On the main driving-shaftM is mounted a pulley N, having on the periphery thereof an irregulargroove N into which projects the lug O on the table operating-shaft O.As the pulley is rotated it will impart a longitudinal movement to theshaft O and a lateral movement to the table B and to the shaking frameT,

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which is firmly secured to the shaft O by Ineans of set-screws t, eachend of whichframe rests on rocking supports U, mounted on the frame ofthe concentrator.

The concentrator-table below the canvas top therein is air-tight,forming an air-chamber B, and air is fed thereinto through the air-pipesP, which will pass up and into the air-chamber below the canvas, asshown in Fig. 1. These pipes are preferably made of canvas or otherpliable material. The air is forced into and distributed through theinclosed table or air-box by means of iiues from a blower or othermeans, (not shown,) the compression of the air being automatically regulated by valves placed in the main air-pipes coming from the blower. Theair passes through the canvas and partially suspends the light andundesired portion of the substance operated on, which, with thelongitudinal inclination together with the agitation of the table, willpass along down and upon the second table of the machine, and finally bedischarged upon the waste dump, the values being heldupon the canvas.

When the hopper is emptied or when the desired quantity of material hasbeen worked over the concentrator, the concentratortables are dumped orturned into a vertical position. The tables being pivotally mounted intheir center on the shaft O for that purpose the concentrates will fallupon a conveyerbelt S, Fig. 1 driven by a roller V, operativelyconnected with the driving-shaft M', and

will be discharged into a conveyer or other receptacle W.

To relieve the lug O of the strain which would be placed thereon by thelateral movement of the concentrator-tables, I have provided the springsY to receive the impact caused by this lateral movement. y On each endof the shaft Ois mounted the rectangular shaking-frame T, through thecenter of which is passed the shaft O. This rectangular frame is mountedon the swinging supportsl U, which are pivoted on the main frame. Thisframe carries at one end thereof a detentbolt T', adapted to be seatedin a'hole in the table B and hold the frame in alinement with the tablewhile the bolt is in place therein. Now when it is desired to tip thetable the bolt is withdrawn by hand, when the table can be tilted intoany position desired. This rectangular frame is preferably made of metaland forms a bearing upon which to sup ort the concentrator-table. On theouter si e of the main frame and secured thereto is placed an ironbracket X, through which the ends of the shaft O pass. Between thebracket and the rectangular frame and encircling the shaft O I haveplaced a spring Y, the purpose of which is to act as a cushion toprevent the table from stopping too abruptly at the end of its lateralmovements.

It is essential to the successful working of .my invention thatsufficient pressure be placed on the air beneath the canvas to move theworthless particles thereon and not to disturb the valuable particles.This is accomplished by regulating the pressure applied to theair-chamber in any conventional manner adapted for that purpose.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein-described apparatus for separating ore without the use ofwater, comprising a plurality of concentrator-tables pivotally mountedin a supporting-frame and arranged to normally have an inclinationdownward from the head to the foot thereof, one table being mountedhigher than the other and arranged to discharge the waste from the firstor highest table onto the table neXt below the same; i.an air-tightcasing beneath the canvas top'of the table, a canvas or other porouscovering thereon and means to vibrate said covering; meansto supply airto the air-chamber below the covering; and means substantially as shownto impart a vibratory motion to said table in combination with acarrying-belt disposed below the concentrator-table and adapted toreceive the contents of the table when the tables Vare thrown into thevertical position, the said carrying-belt extending under all theconcentrator-tables and being operatively connected with the maindriving-shaft and arranged to carry the material dumped thereon into areceptacle and means to feed the tables with the substance to beoperated on.

2. The combination with a concentratortable, loosely mounted near itslongitudinal center on a shaft and provided with a hole in its side, offrames at both sides of the table keyed to the shaft each frame carriedby swinging supports, one of said frames carrying a bolt at a pointremote from the shaft, adapted to be seatedy in the said hole in thetable, and a spring on the shaft between an abutment on theconcentrator-frame, and the frame carrying the bolt.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 16th day of March, 1904.

JOHN P. snUMwAY.

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